What is the best perspective for evaluating senior living?

Was that a question you would have asked? Probably not. But it is a question you need to answer.

Establishing your perspective can be as seemingly painless as reminding yourself who this search is really for, or as thorny as coming to terms with the possibility that your preconceived notions about senior living may turn out to be the opposite of your ultimate decisions.

It’s important to keep an open mind, define your perspective from the beginning, and remind yourself what your point of view is throughout the process. You may even want to write it down.

Let’s start with simple:

Are you searching for senior living for yourself or for a parent or for someone in your care?

If you’re looking for yourself, you only have your preferences to consider. But if you’re looking for a parent or someone else, your perspective should be different. As much as you may prefer, for instance, one assisted living community over another because it’s on your way to work (and easier for you to visit), your mother may like a different community because of the dining room or the view from her potential apartment or because she has a friend already living there. That’s where she wants to be.

Or perhaps you (or your parent) don’t even want to consider senior living communities, but want to do everything in your power to remain at home and age in place. On the surface, that is a totally different path, but there are aspects common to both that you need to consider before you commit to one over another. These include cost, of course, but also availability of quality care; transportation and access to shopping, doctors and other service providers; meal preparation; housekeeping and maintenance considerations; and social interaction.

Establishing your perspective is important because it will keep you on track as you make decisions about senior living.